Team Related News

Pryor had his best season with Cleveland in 2016, leading the Browns in both catches (77) and receiving yards (1,007). He didn't fare as well in Washington but was obviously hampered by injuries including an ankle issue that eventually required surgery. Pryor would add to a Cleveland receiving corps already featuring Josh Gordon and Corey Coleman.

Davis met with the Bills on Thursday and will continue his free agent tour with more visits next week. The two-time Pro Bowler struggled while battling injuries last year but wouldn't be a bad flyer for the Browns, who lead the league with over $110 million in cap space. Davis turns 30 in May.

ESPN Browns reporter Pat McManamon believes A.J. McCarron "shoots to the top of he Browns' options" among free-agent quarterbacks.

The Browns will surely try to throw their hat into the ring for Kirk Cousins, but it seems highly doubtful Cousins will want to play there. McCarron obviously has a history with coach Hue Jackson after Jackson was his OC in Cincinnati and then foolishly tried to trade second- and third-round picks for McCarron at the trade deadline last year only to be saved by Sashi Brown. New GM John Dorsey may have more of a say in things, and it's unclear how he feels about McCarron. The Browns need to aim a lot higher, but McCarron could be an okay 2018 temporary stop-gap to allow a rookie to sit and learn the NFL ropes for a little bit.

In an October radio interview, Browns consultant Scot McCloughan revealed that he rated Oklahoma's Baker Mayfield as the top quarterback in the 2018 draft.

McCloughan's front-office career began in Green Bay with Brett Favre. "He reminds me of a shorter version of Brett Favre," McCloughan said. "Tough guy. He can throw it. And he's very confident, and he's not afraid whatsoever, whatsoever. He's a battler. I know saying Brett Favre's a big name, and I was around him for a while, but this guy (Mayfield) has talent." Per the Cleveland Plain Dealer, "word circulated at the Senior Bowl last month" that McCloughan was "talking up Mayfield" to new Browns GM John Dorsey.

Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer doesn't expect the Browns to be a serious suitor for impending free agent Kirk Cousins.

Cousins would fill an obvious need for Cleveland—DeShone Kizer was statistically the league's worst starting quarterback in 2017—but Cabot fears that Cousins could command up to $30 million annually on the open market. The Browns have over $110 million in available cap room, which is more than enough to sign Cousins. However, Cabot still considers the Browns an unlikely match for Cousins given his desire to "win right away." The Browns own two of the top four picks in April's draft and are almost certain to target a franchise quarterback with one of those selections.

According to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the Browns also attempted to trade for Alex Smith before he was dealt to the Redskins.

The offers were likely similar from both the Redskins and Browns, and ultimately it was likely Smith's decision. Smith admitted earlier on Tuesday in an interview with The Dan Patrick Show that he'd like to join a contender while scoffing at the notion of joining the Browns. Upon agreement of the trade, the Redskins also gave Smith a four-year extension, something Smith likely won't have signed in Cleveland coming off a 1-31 record the last two years. New Browns GM John Dorsey will have to turn his attention elsewhere. He may dip into the Kirk Cousins market, but it's also hard to see Cousins going there after talking about his desire to win.

The longtime Bill made 12 starts for the Eagles in 2016 but was out of the league in 2017. The 0-16 Browns are casting about for talent anywhere they can find it. 2018 will be McKelvin's age-33 season.

A source close to Browns GM John Dorsey told Yahoo's Charles Robinson that Oklahoma's Baker Mayfield would be an "outlier" for Dorsey's preferred style of quarterback.

The source told Robinson this just days after Robinson published a report connecting Browns dots to Mayfield. Per Robinson, the new source noted that Dorsey is a big proponent of "size, speed, quickness" in college prospects, and Mayfield would be shorter than a typical Dorsey-style passer. Dorsey was in Kansas City's front office when the Chiefs selected Patrick Mahomes at No. 10 overall. Mahomes is the ultimate size-speed-quickness quarterback prospect.

"A lot of what he is as a player fits with John Dorsey," a league source told Robinson. "Just his makeup, John believes in building around those kinds of guys. I think he’s a strong candidate for the top pick after this week." Mayfield has been the best quarterback in Senior Bowl practices, outshining Wyoming's Josh Allen. His draft stock continues to trend up coming off a Heisman winning season. Despite size concerns, it won't be surprising if Mayfield ultimately lands in Cleveland with the first-overall pick.

Wyoming QB Josh Allen said he wants "to be the guy that turns around" the Browns.

"The guy that does that is going to be immortalized in Cleveland forever," Allen added. "If I’m fortunate enough to become a Cleveland Brown, you can expect everything from me." This is almost a subtweet of UCLA QB Josh Rosen, who said he would rather "be a lower pick" than play for the "wrong team." A scout reportedly told MMQB's Peter King there is "no way" the Browns pass on Allen, so it is possible the quarterback gets his wish.

Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports the Browns are "on the verge" of hiring former Steelers OC Todd Haley as their offensive coordinator.

ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported Sunday that Haley was in "serious talks" with Cleveland and now it's only a matter of time until the two sides reach an agreement. Haley is slated to become the Browns' first offensive coordinator under coach Hue Jackson. The 50-year-old is coming off a successful six-year stint with Pittsburgh, though the Steelers passed on re-signing him due to his rocky relationship with Ben Roethlisberger.

The two sides are in "serious talks," according to ESPN's Chris Mortensen. The Steelers decided not to renew Haley's contract after the season, possibly due to tension with Ben Roethlisberger. Hue Jackson served as both head coach and offensive coordinator in 2017, which predictably backfired as the Browns endured one of the worst seasons in NFL history. The Browns have also interviewed Texans QBs coach Sean Ryan and former Giants coach Ben McAdoo for their offensive coordinator opening.

Pryor left Cleveland last offseason, reportedly turning down the same deal the Browns gave Kenny Britt (four years, $32.5 million), and joined the Redskins only to catch 20 balls for 240 yards and one touchdown before being sent to I.R. in November. After the season, he replied to a Duke Johnson post on Instagram, saying he hoped to see him again in 2018. Pryor is a coach's pet of Hue Jackson, and a reunion makes all the sense in the world for both Pryor and the Browns.

And Browns fans thought Mike Mularkey being linked to the job was as bad as it would get. McAdoo did have some success early in his run with the Giants, but his offenses were among the worst in the league the last two seasons even when Odell Beckham was on the field. Texans QBs coach Sean Ryan has also been linked with the job.

McCarron was all but traded to the Browns at the deadline, but the paperwork was not filed in time. "I think I would have had some success playing for Hue," McCarron said. "I would have loved the opportunity to go up there and get them a win, more than one win." While he was specifically talking about the Browns, it is pretty clear McCarron is just tired of being a backup. Whether he is deemed a restricted or unrestricted free agent at a hearing on February 15, McCarron will likely do everything he can to get out of Cincinnati this offseason.

Coach Hue Jackson is expected to hire a coordinator for the first time in his tenure, but the search has been quiet. Mularkey has had success as a coordinator in the past, but the Titans' struggles on offense in 2017 is one of the main reasons he is no longer with the franchise. Cleveland has also been linked with Texans QBs coach Sean Ryan.

He's been replaced by Ken Zampese. The Browns also pulled the plug on RBs coach Kirby Wilson, special teams coordinator Chris Tabor, special teams assistant Shawn Mennenga and special teams quality control coach Stan Watson. The Browns cleaned house by firing all their defensive assistants last season and are now applying the same technique to their offense. However, the real problem is head coach Hue Jackson, who has shown a distressing lack of accountability for his 1-31 record the last two seasons.

The longtime NFL RBs coach, Wilson takes the fall for the Browns' struggles, even though his running backs were the best parts of the Browns' offense, with Duke Johnson having a career year in 2017 and Isaiah Crowell having his best two rushing seasons under Wilson the past two years. Wilson should quickly resurface as an RBs coach while the Browns continue their OC search.

It makes all the sense in the world from a dot-connecting standpoint. The Chiefs are fully expected to move on from Smith, even with him coming off his best pro season. Patrick Mahomes offers more upside, and the Chiefs believe Smith has taken them as far as he can already. In Cleveland is GM John Dorsey, who was the Chiefs' GM when they acquired Smith from the 49ers. Cleveland has a ton of cap space and can splurge at quarterback, where Smith carries a $20.9 million cap hit for 2018. The Browns need to add a veteran and high-end rookie at the position.

Grigson was fired as the Colts' GM less than a year ago and latched on with the Browns in May. He lasts just one season with the team with the Browns overhauling their front office and bringing in a bunch of talented ex-Packers executives. Grigson, 46 next month, has seen his career spiral the drain.